WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: US Open Squash Championship, Boston, Mass, USA

Semi-finals:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 15-12, 15-12, 15-10
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 8-15, 5-15, 15-8, 15-7, 15-10

Nicol & Palmer In Final US Open Record Bids

England's Peter Nicol and Australia's David Palmer will meet in the final in the US Open Squash Championship at the Symphony Hall in Boston - each one step away from writing his name into the squash history books.

Should victory go to top seed Nicol, who triumphed in straight games over France's Thierry Lincou, the world No1 would become the first player to win the prestigious title four times, but if second-seeded Palmer were to succeed, he would be the first to win back-to-back titles.  In the other semi-final, the world No2 fought back from 2-0 down to conquer compatriot Anthony Ricketts in five games.

Surprise semi-finalist Thierry Lincou played with incredible intensity and accuracy against Nicol in the first two games.  But the Englishman matched each point, even though Lincou worked him hard ­ standing virtually still on the T while Nicol chased balls short, long and deep into the corners. 

Nicol took the first game in just 17 minutes.  With his backhand bringing him nothing but tins in the second game, Lincou lost focus as Nicol worked the right corner with no mercy.  The fifth seed never gave up the fight, but Nicol eventually secured a 15-12 15-12 15-10 victory to claim his fifth successive PSA Tour win over the Frenchman and reach his fifth US Open final.

"After game one, Peter took control of the T and that was it," conceded Lincou afterwards.

Concurring with his opponent, Nicol added:  "I started out a bit inconsistent in my swing - sometimes long, sometimes short.  But by the middle of game two, I felt completely focused and relaxed.  As a result, I'm not too tired and ready for tomorrow's final."

Sixth seed Ricketts took a commanding 11-5 lead in the next semi-final and seemed unfazed by any return Palmer gave him, working his fellow Aussie hard and taking the game 15-8.  In game two, Ricketts again scooted to a 15-5 win, taking the lead two-love with barely a whimper from Palmer. 

"I was pushing the ball around too much and Anthony took control," said Palmer after the match.  "But somehow between games two and three, I honestly got a little better!"

After Palmer levelled the match, things heated up in game five as a slippery surface sent Ricketts sprawling on several occasions, costing him desperately-needed points.  But the writing was on the wall for the 24-year-old from Brisbane when, early in the game, Palmer won a critical point to take the lead 6-3. 

Ricketts never really recovered and Palmer, the world champion from Lithgow, NSW, ultimately claimed an 8-15 5-15 15-8 15-7 15-10 win, his fourth PSA victory in a row over his fellow countryman over the past two years.  It will be Palmer's first PSA Tour final appearance since winning the World Open title in his adopted home town of Antwerp in Belgium last December.